Rick Gekoski: Finger on the page + James Joyce | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/series/rick-gekoski-finger-on-the-page+jamesjoyce
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The bibliophile on holidayhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/nov/01/fiction-jamesjoyce
Jolly pastimes, fine scenery and sociability are all very well. But they can't really compete with reading<p>I'm just back from holiday, as it's called, sailing on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulet" title="">gulet</a> in Turkey with my wife Belinda and our friends the New Zealand artists Boyd Webb, Gretchen Albrecht and Jamie Ross, and Boyd's wife, who designs and more or less builds by herself huge complexes for university campuses. They're perfect companions, fully engaged: they notice the details of everything, and are happy to call them to your (my) attention. The goats shelter under the trees anticipating rain, the teak deck is examined with joinerly competence, yachts shift on their anchors and almost collide, the prehistory of the archaeological sites is adduced, we chart the possible trajectory of the giant catapults that sank passing Greek triremes, the colours and moods of the water in various bays are analysed, the tsatsiki, I am informed, is made with watercress, peppery and surprising. They love to go for treks on the rocky hillsides, from many of which I manage to absent myself. On one of them, Boyd falls backwards off a stone wall, six feet down into a thorn bush, confirming my sense of how dangerous walking is. He dislocates a finger, which he whacks back into place, and has major abrasions on his hands and legs. Within half an hour he is taped up, uncomplaining, and almost as good company as he was before.</p><p>Even I notice this, but most things pass me by, which is observed with increasing frequency and mild incredulity. I'm reading. This is the first proper outing for my new Kindle, and I have loaded it with various goodies. Day one is reserved for <a href="http://www.leechild.com/WDF.php" title="">the new Lee Child</a>, in which Jack Reacher only kills three people (down on his average) but all of them in – as it were – cold blood, defenceless. Reacher as an agent of retributive justice, executing the predators on the innocent and defenceless. I'm filled with admiration. I'd quite like to do that. Exit <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=James+Murdoch&amp;um=1&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;sa=N&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&amp;biw=1592&amp;bih=943&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbnid=pfjIvTjYItF2TM:&amp;imgrefurl=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jul/14/mediatop1002008&amp;docid=DMdNoT-bAZ5-YM&amp;imgurl=http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Media/Pix/pictures/2008/06/30/JamesMurdoch460.jpg&amp;w=460&amp;h=276&amp;ei=h9SuTpCiNoaw8gOTpfSwCw&amp;zoom=1&amp;iact=hc&amp;vpx=832&amp;vpy=206&amp;dur=961&amp;hovh=174&amp;hovw=290&amp;tx=195&amp;ty=72&amp;sig=101549103076920943453&amp;page=1&amp;tbnh=156&amp;tbnw=208&amp;start=0&amp;ndsp=26&amp;ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0" title="">James Murdoch</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/nov/01/fiction-jamesjoyce">Continue reading...</a>BooksCultureFictionJames JoyceHenry JamesRobert HarrisBooker prize 2011Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:19:31 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/nov/01/fiction-jamesjoycePhotograph: Don McPheeReading on deckchairs. Photograph: Don McPheePhotograph: Don McPheeReading on deckchairs. Photograph: Don McPheeRick Gekoski2011-11-01T15:19:31Z